Side-by-side · Research reference

TesofensinevsVilon

Side-by-side comparison across mechanism, dosage, evidence, side effects, administration, and stack synergies. Citations on every claim where available.

APhase 3AUTO-DRAFTED10/40 cited

BAnimal-StrongHUMAN-REVIEWED13/49 cited

Tesofensine

SNDRI · Phase 3 obesity candidate

0.25–0.5 mgDaily doseAstrup 2008

9.2 kgWeight ↓ (24 wk)Astrup 2008

Phase 3Evidence levelAstrup 2008

Oral · Once daily morning

Vilon

Khavinson Bioregulator · Dipeptide

2 AADipeptide

T-helperStimulatesLinkova 2011

MouseModel basisKhavinson 2002

Literature lacks standardised clinical route

01Mechanism of Action

Parameter

Tesofensine

Vilon

Primary target

Serotonin / norepinephrine / dopamine transporters (SERT / NET / DAT)Astrup 2008

Immune cell differentiation pathways, chromatin modification

Pathway

Triple monoamine reuptake inhibition → ↑synaptic 5-HT, NE, DA → appetite suppression + thermogenesisAstrup 2008

Vilon → Thymocyte sphingomyelinase activation → T-helper & cytotoxic T-cell differentiation; epigenetic suppression of aging markers (CCL11, HMGB1)

Downstream effect

Strong appetite suppression, mild thermogenic effect, weight lossAstrup 2008

Enhanced T-cell differentiation (CD4+, CD8+, B-cells), thymocyte proliferation, modulated IL-1β comitogenic activity, proposed chromatin decondensation in aged lymphocytesLinkova 2011 Khavinson 2002 Lezhava 2023

Feedback intact?

—

Unknown — no HPA/HPG axis data

Origin

Small molecule developed by NeuroSearch (Denmark) for CNS indications, repurposed for obesityAstrup 2008

Synthetic dipeptide derived from Khavinson thymic peptide extraction studies (Thymalin fraction)Morozov 1997

Antibody development

—

02Dosage Protocols

Parameter

Tesofensine

Vilon

Standard dose

0.25–0.5 mg / dayAstrup 2008

No clinical standard — literature lacks human dosing

Russian practice: often combined with other Khavinson peptides; no FDA/EMA trials.

Frequency

Once daily, morning

Unknown — literature does not specify chronic administration protocols

Lower / starter dose

0.125 mg / day

—

Evidence basis

Phase 2b + ongoing Phase 3Astrup 2008

Mouse / in vitro only

Duration

24 weeks per studied cycle

Not characterised in humans

Form

Oral capsule

—

Timing

Morning to avoid sleep disruption

—

Half-life

~9 days (very long)

Not published — dipeptides typically <10 min plasma t½

Animal model dose

—

In vitro: 0.01–10 μg/mL culture medium (mouse thymocytes)

Not translatable to human mg/kg without pharmacokinetic data.

Route

—

Likely SQ or oral (Khavinson school uses both); no published ROA validation

04Side Effects & Safety

Parameter

Tesofensine

Vilon

Heart rate / BP

Dose-dependent ↑ HR + BPAstrup 2008

—

Insomnia

Dose-related; mitigate with morning timing

—

Dry mouth

Common

—

Nausea

Common

—

Mood changes

Anxiety / agitation possible

—

Cardiovascular events

Phase 3 trial monitoring; not yet FDA-cleared

—

Pregnancy / OB

Contraindicated

—

Human safety data

—

Absent from PubMed-indexed literature

Theoretical risk

—

Immune hyperactivation in autoimmune-prone individuals (T-cell differentiation enhancement)

Antibody formation

—

Not reported; dipeptides generally low immunogenicity

Animal models

—

No adverse effects noted in mouse thymocyte or pineal lymphoid cultures

Absolute Contraindications

Tesofensine

·Pregnancy / breastfeeding
·Severe cardiovascular disease
·Concurrent MAOI use

Vilon

·Active autoimmune disease (theoretical — no clinical data)

Relative Contraindications

Tesofensine

·Hypertension
·Anxiety disorder
·Insomnia

Vilon

·Pregnancy / lactation (no safety data)
·Acute infection with cytokine storm risk (immune modulation unknown)

05Administration Protocol

Parameter

Tesofensine

Vilon

1. Form

Oral capsule (investigational; not commercial).

No clinical protocols exist in Western peer-reviewed literature. Russian gerontological practice may use 1–10 mg ranges, but dosing is empirical.

2. Administration

Swallow whole with water, morning only.

Subcutaneous injection (common for Khavinson peptides) or oral (some bioregulators reportedly active orally due to small size). No validated ROA.

3. Timing

Morning to mitigate insomnia. Do not dose evening.

Unknown — no circadian or meal-timing data. Khavinson school often recommends morning administration.

4. Storage

Room temp ≤25 °C, dry place.

Likely lyophilised powder, refrigerated. Reconstitution protocols not published.

5. Caveat

Monitor BP + HR + mood. Avoid stimulants + MAOIs.

—

06Stack Synergy

Tesofensine

— no documented stacks

Vilon

+ Epitalon

Moderate

View Epitalon →

Both are Khavinson bioregulators targeting aging pathways. Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) acts on telomerase and pineal function; Vilon on immune differentiation and chromatin decondensation. Combined in Russian gerontological protocols for multi-system aging intervention. Lezhava et al. (2023) tested both on aged lymphocyte chromatin, showing distinct epigenetic effects. Complementary, not synergistic in strict pharmacological sense.

Vilon: Empirical — no standard
Epitalon: Empirical — often 10 mg cycles
Frequency: Sequential or concurrent (literature ambiguous)
Primary benefit: Multi-system aging modulation (immune + pineal/circadian)

+ Thymalin

Weak

View Thymalin →

Thymalin is the parent polypeptide complex from which Vilon was isolated. Both target immune differentiation, but Thymalin is a complex mixture (multiple peptides), whereas Vilon is a purified dipeptide. Morozov & Khavinson (1997) described Vilon as a synthetic successor designed to replicate Thymalin's immunomodulatory effects with greater specificity. Redundant in practice; no published combination studies.

Vilon: No standard
Thymalin: 10–100 mg IM (polypeptide complex)
Primary benefit: Redundant — both target T-cell differentiation

Morozov 1997 Khavinson 2020